U.S. patent application number 12/282587 was filed with the patent office on 2009-12-17 for platform screen door system.
This patent application is currently assigned to KNORR-BREMSE RAIL SYSTEMS (UK) LIMITED. Invention is credited to Mark Hemmings.
Application Number | 20090307980 12/282587 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37401401 |
Filed Date | 2009-12-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090307980 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hemmings; Mark |
December 17, 2009 |
PLATFORM SCREEN DOOR SYSTEM
Abstract
A platform screen door system includes a fixed driving panel and
at least one door leaf slidable relative to the fixed driving
panel. Further included is a telescopic guide including a fixed
guide mounted on the fixed driving panel, a moving guide mounted on
the at least one door leaf, and a moving intermediate guide mounted
on the fixed guide. Also included is a drive means for slidably
moving the at least one door leaf from a closed position to an
opened position wherein the at least one door leaf overlaps the
fixed driving panel.
Inventors: |
Hemmings; Mark; ( Wiltshire,
GB) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BARNES & THORNBURG LLP
750-17TH STREET NW, SUITE 900
WASHINGTON
DC
20006-4675
US
|
Assignee: |
KNORR-BREMSE RAIL SYSTEMS (UK)
LIMITED
Melksham, Wiltshire
GB
|
Family ID: |
37401401 |
Appl. No.: |
12/282587 |
Filed: |
March 15, 2006 |
PCT Filed: |
March 15, 2006 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/GB2006/000921 |
371 Date: |
February 11, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
49/360 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E05Y 2800/122 20130101;
B61B 1/02 20130101; E05Y 2900/404 20130101; E05F 15/643 20150115;
E05D 15/0686 20130101; E05Y 2201/684 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
49/360 |
International
Class: |
E05D 15/06 20060101
E05D015/06; E05F 15/14 20060101 E05F015/14 |
Claims
1. A platform screen door system comprising: a fixed driving panel;
at least one door leaf slidable relative to the fixed driving
panel; a telescopic guide including a fixed guide mounted on the
fixed driving panel, a moving guide mounted on the at least one
door leaf, and a moving intermediate guide mounted on the fixed
guide; and drive means for slidably moving the at least one door
leaf from a closed position to an opened position wherein the at
least one door leaf overlaps the fixed driving panel.
2. The platform screen door system according to claim 1, wherein
the moving guide and the moving intermediate guide are movable on
rollers relative to the fixed driving panel.
3. The platform screen door system according to claim 1, wherein
the moving intermediate guide includes an abutment intermediate a
length of the moving intermediate guide, which, when the at least
one door leaf is opened, the abutment contacts the moving guide to
entrain the moving guide and move the moving guide relative to the
fixed driving panel until the at least one door leaf is in the
opened position.
4. The platform screen door system according to claim 1, further
comprising a belt drive configured to drive the at least one door
leaf between the closed and opened positions.
5. The platform screen door system according to claim 1, further
comprising a second drive means configured as one of a drive wire
and a motor to drive the at least one door leaf between the closed
and opened positions.
6. The platform screen door system according to claim 5, wherein
the second drive means drives the moving intermediate guide such
that the moving intermediate guide is driven in a synchronised
movement with the moving guide.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a National Phase Application based upon
and claiming the benefit of priority of PCT/GB2007/000921, filed on
Mar. 15, 2007 which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY
[0002] The present disclosure relates to a platform screen door or
gate and a mechanism for opening and closing the door or gate.
[0003] The conventional railway station consisting of a raised
platform adjacent to the track is essentially the same design as
has been used since the beginning of the railway industry in the
nineteenth century and is an effective solution to the problem of
maximising passenger boarding speed.
[0004] However, the basic platform arrangement suffers from several
well known problems, such as passengers falling under trains either
deliberately or unintentionally and also litter from passengers
falling onto the track. Although incidents of people falling under
trains are not common, they result in significant disruption to the
network and are traumatic incidents for everyone present. The
problem of litter on the track has also increased in recent years
and can represent a serious health and safety risk on underground
or sub-surface systems where the litter will remain in tunnels
until it is cleared up.
[0005] Platform screen systems or automated platform gates are well
known in the railway industry as one approach of dealing with these
problems. Due to the problem of lining up doors on the platform and
the train, these systems are usually only installed on lines where
the rolling stock is standardised, which in practice is on metro or
underground systems, although some dedicated high speed systems are
also provided with screens.
[0006] There are two main types of platform screen door systems in
use at present. The most common type is a full height system, for
example, vertical screens that are around 2 m high or more. The
full height system is usually adopted for newly built railway
systems and is in practice essentially in air-conditioned systems,
as otherwise the air conditioning system loses air to the rail
tunnels, which is highly inefficient.
[0007] However, in many systems, particularly older systems, the
air in stations is conditioned by the passage of the train through
the station, which forces air down the tunnel. In such a system,
the use of a full height screen door is precluded as the air
throughput to the platform is insufficient to make conditions
tolerable. Additionally, many platforms on old systems are quite
narrow and a full height screen would be claustrophobic.
[0008] One solution to this that has been used is a half height
screen or gate. This consists of a rigid vertical screen and gate,
usually about 1 m30 to 1 m50 high, which permits the
air-conditioning solution provided by the passage of the train to
be used and reduces the problems caused by litter and people
falling onto the track.
[0009] In full height systems, the screen doors are provided with a
head structure, which houses an endless belt driven by a pulley at
each end over each door. Where the opening comprises two door
leaves, one leaf is attached to one part of the belt and the other
leaf to the other part of the belt. Driving the belt in one
direction will then open the doors.
[0010] The use of a head structure is obviously precluded in non
full height systems and the known systems use the same approach but
mounted into the platform surface. However, it is often difficult
to retrofit such a system to a platform as it is expensive to dig
channels out of the platform and the channel itself will accumulate
dirt. Some solutions box in the mechanism but this approach suffers
from the problem that the box stands proud of or extends from the
platform forming a step which makes the system harder to use for
wheelchair users.
[0011] A further problem is that on certain metro systems, the door
pitch is quite short, which permits rapid embarkation and
disembarkation of passengers. However, when this short pitch is
allied with the required clearway when the door or gate is open, it
leads to a requirement that the equipment to support and guide the
sliding door in the closed position must not interfere with the
sliding door or the area adjacent the door when the door is in the
open position. The problem is particularly acute in that the loads
that the sliding doors must resist must be reacted to over the
length of the support and the known head structures are generally
not able to provide this due to space constraints.
[0012] The present disclosure relates to, among other things, a
platform screen gate and door which can operate with a shorter
pitch.
[0013] According to the present disclosure, a platform screen door
system includes a fixed driving panel and at least one door leaf
slidable relative to the fixed driving panel. The platform screen
door system also includes drive means adapted to slidingly move the
door leaf from a door closed position to a door open position in
which the leaf lies overlapping with the fixed panel. The platform
screen door system further includes a telescopic guide, which guide
comprises a fixed guide mounted on the fixed driving panel. The
telescopic guide further comprises a moving guide mounted on the
door leaf and a moving intermediate guide supported on the fixed
guide.
[0014] The moving and moving intermediate guides are movable
relative to the fixed driving panel or screen on rollers. The
moving intermediate guide carries an abutment intermediate their or
its length which, when the door is opened, contacts the moving
guide to entrain the moving guide and move the moving guide
relative to the fixed panel until the door is in the fully opened
position. A belt drive is provided to drive the door leaf. A second
drive mechanism is provided comprising either a drive wire or motor
to drive the door leaf. In an embodiment according to the present
disclosure, the second drive mechanism is provided to drive the
intermediate moving guide such that the intermediate moving guide
is positively driven in a synchronised movement with the moving
guide.
[0015] Other aspects of the present disclosure will become apparent
from the following descriptions when considered in conjunction with
the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] FIG. 1 shows a schematic of a platform screen door system,
according to the present disclosure.
[0017] FIG. 2 shows a schematic of a guidance system for the doors
of the system of FIG. 1.
[0018] FIG. 3 shows a cross section of the guidance system of FIG.
2.
[0019] FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of a drive mechanism including a
belt drive, according to the present disclosure.
[0020] FIG. 5 shows a schematic of the door system of FIG. 1 in the
open position.
[0021] FIG. 6 shows a roller arrangement of the door system,
according to the present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0022] FIG. 1 shows a schematic of a platform screen door system
with the sliding doors in the closed position on a railway
platform. The system comprises a first sliding door 1 adjacent to a
fixed driving panel 2, which fixed driving panel 2 is narrower than
the sliding door 1. The fixed driving panel 2 is adjacent to a
fixed panel 3 or the pivoting door, which in turn is adjacent to a
further fixed driving panel 4, which is adjacent to a further
sliding door 5. A guide 6 is provided at the lower edges of the
fixed driving panels 2 and 4. A head structure 7 is provided on the
upper edge of the fixed driving panels 2 and 4 and the fixed panel
3.
[0023] FIG. 2 shows the fixed driving panel 4 and the sliding door
5 in the closed position with the guide 6. The guide 6 comprises a
fixed guide 9 comprising two rollers 11, 12 mounted on the frame of
the fixed driving panel 4. The guide 6 further comprises a moving
door guide 13 and a moving intermediate door guide 10. The
intermediate door guide 10 is supported on the rollers 11 and 12
and floats free of the panel 4 and the door 5. Further V-channelled
rollers 14,15 are mounted on the intermediate door guide 10. The
moving door guide 13 is supported on the rollers 14,15 and is fixed
to the door 5. At the upper edge of the fixed driving panel 4 and
the sliding door 5, a pair of rollers 19,20 guide the door.
[0024] The fixed guide 9 is both adapted to support the moving
guide 13 and the intermediate guide 10 and thereby the sliding door
5. To facilitate the support and guidance of the doors over a short
distance, the guide 6 is telescopic comprising two sections, the
first defined by the rollers 11 and 12, respectively, which
sections are fixedly mounted on the fixed position driving panel 4.
The second section, which is adapted to slide telescopically within
the first section as the door 5 opens is defined by the rollers
14,15. The telescopic nature of the guides 6 and the V-channelled
rollers 14, 15 or channels enables the loads applied to the sliding
doors 1 to be reacted over a greater length of the support
structure than would otherwise be the case with the knock-on effect
that bearing loads are considerably reduced.
[0025] As the door 1 is opened by a drive mechanism 30, the moving
door guide 13 moves relative to both the moving intermediate door
guide 10 and the fixed guide 9 until an abutment 70 on the moving
intermediate door guide 10 engages the moving door guide 13.
Continued movement moves both the moving door guide 13 and the
moving intermediate door guide 10 relative to the fixed panel 4
until the door 1 has reached the controlled open position.
[0026] FIG. 3 shows a cross-section view of the fixed driving panel
4 and sliding door 5 and shows the telescopic guide 6 together with
the respective rollers, moving door guide 13, moving intermediate
door guide 10 and the header arrangement 7. Located adjacent the
fixed guide 9 is the drive mechanism 30. The drive mechanism 30
comprises a control unit adapted to actuate an electric motor,
which motor drives a belt and pulley arrangement which pulls the
door leaf in the appropriate direction to open and close the door
1.
[0027] FIG. 4 shows schematically an embodiment according to the
present disclosure in which the drive mechanism 30 comprises a belt
drive for the guide 6. The belt drive comprises a belt 40 which
belt is attached at a first end to the free end of the sliding door
or panel 5 slightly above the height at which the moving door guide
13 travels. The second end of the belt 40 is attached to the other
end of the door 5 via a driven pulley 44 mounted on the fixed
driving panel 4 and a further idler pulley 46 mounted on the door
leaf 5. A further driven pulley 42 is rigidly mounted coaxially
with the driven pulley 44. A further belt 50 is attached to both
ends of the moving intermediate door guide 10 via the third pulley
42 coaxially mounted with the pulley 44 and a fourth, idler pulley
48 mounted co-axially with the pulley 46. A motor 52 is provided to
drive the pulleys 42 and 44, thereby driving the guides and the
sliding door 5. The third and fourth pulleys 42, 48 are half the
size of the pulleys 44, 46.
[0028] The use of the belt drive has the advantage that more even
power is drawn from the motor 52, in particular at the point when
the moving door guide 13 is moved clear of the moving intermediate
door guide 10 where current spikes could occur, which the control
software might interpret as an obstruction.
[0029] FIG. 5 shows, schematically, the door or door leaf 5 in the
open position, showing that the door leaf 5 extends past the fixed
driving panel 4. The telescopic guide 6, comprising guide members
9, 10 and 13, are shown in the open position. During the opening of
the gate system, the loads caused by the motion of the door 5 are
reacted between the rollers 11 and 12, which reduces the loads on
the bearings giving the system higher stability.
[0030] FIG. 6 shows in greater detail the roller arrangement 19.
Adjacent to the roller 19 are two resilient bearing surfaces 60,61
are provided, which bearing surfaces 60,61 are substantially planar
with rounded edges. The bearing surfaces 60,61 are provided to
support the door leaf 5 under side load conditions as it moves,
thereby removing some of the forces acting on a respective roller,
for example, roller 19, to extend its life. Under some conditions a
double roller arrangement may be used.
[0031] The telescopic mechanism, according to the present
disclosure, is suitable for use in both full height platform screen
doors and also half height automatic gates. The term screen door
applies also to half height systems and gates. The system,
according to the present disclosure, allows for the installation
and operation of a platform sliding door in situations where a
short door pith is provided on the trains which pitch makes it
extremely difficult using the existing technology to provide
platform doors aligned with all the doors on a train.
[0032] In place of the roller arrangement, it is within the scope
of the present disclosure to use a linear slide arrangement, using,
for example, low friction plastics or ball bearings.
[0033] It is also within the scope of the present disclosure to use
a damping arrangement to damp the acceleration and deceleration of
the moving intermediate door guide 10 and thereby avoid using a
second belt drive. Alternatively, it is within the scope of the
present disclosure wherein a linear motor could be used as the
drive means.
[0034] Although the present disclosure has been described and
illustrated in detail, it is to be clearly understood that this is
done by way of illustration and example only and is not to be taken
by way of limitation. The scope of the present disclosure is to be
limited only by the terms of the appended claims.
* * * * *